Fansided

World Series: The Trials of the Team’s Traveling Secretary

By Steve Contursi |
Oct 14, 2014; San Francisco, CA, USA; A view of a postseason sign in the outfield before game three of the 2014 NLCS playoff baseball game between the San Francisco Giants and the St. Louis Cardinals at AT&T Park. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 14, 2014; San Francisco, CA, USA; A view of a postseason sign in the outfield before game three of the 2014 NLCS playoff baseball game between the San Francisco Giants and the St. Louis Cardinals at AT&T Park. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

We probably all think our job gives us a headache. But how would you like to be responsible for the travel arrangements of as many as 200 people, all with individual needs, as the traveling secretary for either the Chicago Cubs or Cleveland Indians in this year’s World Series? Here’s a glimpse into their job.

Normally during the regular season, a team’s traveling secretary provides services for about 60 players, coaches, select media personnel, and occasionally a family or two that accompanies a player on a road trip. That, in and of itself, can be a daunting challenge, especially when a player decides he wants to bring Buster, his pet dog, along with him at the last minute.

Responsibilities Are Compounded for a World Series

But when you are the traveling secretary for the Chiago Cubs (Vijay Tekchandan) or the Cleveland Indians (Mike Seghi) and your team lands in the World Series, your responsibilities triple to more than 200 individuals. And this time, virtually all of the players’ wives and families are traveling with the team.

And can you imagine calling a hotel in either city and saying, “Okay, I need 150 rooms and as many suites as you have on such and such nights and 30 of those rooms must be handicapped equipped. Oh, and I need room service available 24/7 because we may be hungry when we arrive back from the game at 1:00 AM. Oh, and I almost forgot. If it rains, we might need those accommodations for another night – or maybe two if it really rains hard.”

Then, of course, there’s the starting pitcher who texts you to say, “Look, my Aunt Jeannie is flying in from Boise, Idaho at 4:15. Can you make sure she gets to the hotel. Countin’ on ya. Thanks”. Think it doesn’t happen?

How Bad Can It Get?

Guess again. Here’s what happened to Bill Brown, the traveling secretary of the Detroit Tigers in 2006 when the weatherman didn’t cooperate:

“That was difficult,” understates Bill Brown, the traveling secretary for the Tigers, who are now in St. Louis wondering if the World Series will include a Game Six (or Game Seven) in Detroit this weekend. When rain postponed Game Two of the Division Series in the Bronx, Brown found rooms at a nearby Hilton. Had Detroit lost Game Four that Saturday, the Tigers would have been back at Yankee Stadium 24 hours later.

And what about the other side of the coin – the hotel? Well, here’s how they see it:

From the hotel perspective, there are both risks and rewards in the postseason. “It’s a program that’s in total motion,” explains Ty Helms, senior vice president of sales for Hyatt. “You try to hedge your bet and work with the American League or the National League and not with a specific team. That’s usually the key.” But once a deal is struck, he says it’s imperative that a hotel rep “basically attach at the hip” to the traveling secretary.

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So it’s both a game of skill and luck. But right about now, both teams have finished with their workouts at Progressive Field and are safe at home in their hotel. Except for Aunt Jeannie who needs to be picked up at the airport in a few minutes.

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